Nessus

Overview

Nessus was one of the Centaurs, a race of half-human, half-horse creatures known for their wild and lustful nature. He met his end when he tried to rape Heracles’ wife, Deianira, while ferrying her across a river; Heracles shot him with one of his famous arrows, tipped with the poisonous blood of the Hydra. 

But Nessus had his revenge (albeit posthumously): he tricked Deianira into thinking that his blood—now poisoned by the Hydra’s venom—was a love potion. Years later, when she feared that Heracles’ love for her was fading, Deianira smeared Nessus’ poisoned blood on Heracles’ clothing, inadvertently causing him to die in agony.

Etymology

There is no obvious etymology for the name “Nessus” (Greek Νέσσος, translit. Néssos; also attested as Νέσος, translit. Nésos). 

It may be related to the Sanskrit word nāda (“sound, roaring”), which is in turn connected to the Indo-European *ned-ih₂ (“roaring, thundering, rushing”).^[1] This etymology suggests the rushing of water (similar to the Greek Neda, the name of a river in Arcadia and its nymph), perhaps reflecting Nessus’ role as a ferryman.

Alternatively, the name may be connected to the Greek verb νέομαι (néomai), meaning “to return”; the similar name “Nestor” is usually thought to be derived from this verb.^[2] As Nessus’ name is also attested in Greek as Νέσος (Nésos, with only one sigma), this etymology may have some credence.

Attributes

Iconography

Nessus’ attack on Deianira was a fairly popular motif in ancient art, especially in vase paintings. In these artistic renditions, Nessus (like the other Centaurs) was often depicted with qualities that accentuated his bestial nature, such as a snub nose and unruly hair and beard.^[4]

Family

Mythology

Nessus played an important role in the myth of Heracles. In a sense, it was Nessus who was responsible for killing Heracles, though the Centaur was already dead (slain by Heracles) by the time the hero perished.

Nessus originally lived in the mountains of Thessaly in northern Greece, along with the other Centaurs. But they were driven away from their home after their fateful battle with the Lapiths. 

As the story goes, the Centaurs had been invited to the wedding of the Lapith king Pirithous. But the creatures became drunk and, in their frenzy, tried to carry off the women (one Centaur even snatched the bride, called Hippodamia in the common version). This led to a violent battle between the Centaurs and the Lapiths,^[6] which ended with the Centaurs being defeated and chased out of Thessaly.^[7]

It was said that the Centaurs eventually settled further south, in the Peloponnese. There they soon battled another hero, the great Heracles. Heracles had come to the home of the Centaurs to visit his friend Pholus, one of the few Centaurs who was not a violent beast. 

During Heracles’ stay, the other Centaurs caught a whiff of the wine he was drinking and went wild. They attacked the hero but were beaten back, suffering heavy losses. Again the Centaurs were chased away from their home, scattering to various locations; Nessus traveled to the River Evenus in Aetolia, where he ended up working as a ferryman.^[8]

Many years later, Nessus would meet Heracles again—and this time the Centaur would not escape with his life. Heracles was traveling with his wife, Deianira, and needed to cross the River Evenus. Heracles, of course, was able to get himself across by simply swimming, but he asked Nessus to ferry Deianira across (either in a boat or, as often in artistic depictions, on his back).

Nessus, driven by the unthinking lust so characteristic of his kind, tried to rape or run off with the beautiful Deianira as he was ferrying her across the river. In response, Heracles shot him with an arrow that had been dipped in the poisonous blood of the Hydra (the many-headed serpent Heracles had fought and killed as his second labor).^[9] In some versions, however, Heracles killed Nessus with his club rather than his bow and arrow.^[10]

As he was dying, Nessus deceived Deianira into keeping a vial of his blood, which had mingled with the Hydra’s poison: he told her that if she ever feared that Heracles’ love for her was waning, or that he loved another woman, she could use this concoction as a powerful love charm. 

In one tradition, Nessus did not die right away. Instead, he fled to a nearby town, where he died and was eventually buried. But as his body rotted it gave off a foul odor, from which the place got its name: Ozolian Locris, or “Stinking Locris.”^[11]

Years later, Heracles did fall in love with another woman, the princess Iole, and Deianira decided to use Nessus’ “love charm.” She smeared some of the poisoned blood on one of Heracles’ shirts. As soon as Heracles put it on, the Hydra’s poison infected him, and he began writhing in terrible agony. He finally died by having his followers burn him on a pyre, after which he became a god.^[12]

Pop Culture

Nessus has appeared in a number of contemporary adaptations of Greek mythology. In Disney’s animated Hercules, for instance, Nessus is the first opponent the hero must face (though in this retelling, it is Megara rather than Deianira whom he rescues). The Centaur has also been featured in TV shows such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and video games such as Titan Quest and Rise of the Argonauts. As in ancient sources, he continues to be represented as a sex-crazed brute.